I know that aforementioned film is much loved by certain people of my generation. I'm sorry, but it just infuriated me throughout and I never wanted that character to succeed.
So you're probably wondering why I'm investing time in checking this latest portrayal?
Well, the casting choices and the strong vibe the trailer gave certainly had my attention. I can thankfully say that I rather enjoyed this and it may be the Emma that I have been waiting for.
What I think what made it work the most from director Autumn De Wilde and her team, was that I felt they humanised the character of Emma and showcased her flaws to make it essential to the story.
Whatever decision she made never brought the same feelings from previous versions. It always felt integral and meaningful, and the development of the story felt Emma feel like a flawed lost soul that you can sympathise with.
That was partly thanks to Anya Taylor-Joy. Since her breakthrough in 'The Witch' back in 2015, Taylor-Joy has been a great young talent and this particular performance just further expands her range. She carried the film well, and as I said before gave us an Emma that I feel will convert many more haters of this character like myself.
I felt both Mia Goth and Johnny Flynn did a really good job with their respective roles and also supported Taylor-Joy well. They both had memorable moments on screen and showed great passion to further enhance the story. Especially Goth, who showed great innocence in her character that made her the most engaging character out of everyone else.
Much like Taylor-Joy, Josh O'Connor did something I've not seen them do before and gave solid comedic relief.
Final mentions go to Bill Nighy, who basically played himself with an effective running gag, and Miranda Hart, who surprised me. I'm definitely not a fan of Hart, but she managed to fit in nicely with the story whilst also performing the usual shtick.
It was from quite early on into the film that I was in complete shock as to how much I was enjoying pretty much everything about it.
While the character of Emma is still as unlikable as Jane Austen's intentions. The way she is written and portrayed still manages to make her engaging. You could feel her cruelty underneath the surface. Then as it projects out, you can genuinely feel that shock when her subconscious feelings manifest.
Also in regards to the writing, the comedy works and mixes in with the drama nicely. The production and costume design were fantastic and the cinematography perfectly showed those off. There are also some great dance sequences that for me was the film at its peak.
So while I enjoyed a lot of it, it never quite jumped onto the level of 'great' for me. It might be because I already knew the story. But everything was just 'good', and considering my history with this story, this is a big positive.
This was a very entertaining piece of work with a pleasing style and look throughout along with memorable performances. I was really happy that the character of Emma worked for me, and I can see other finding her engaging as well.
I was happy to see the ensemble cast, particular the youngsters. This was a great project to show off many young talents, and they all capitalised on their opportunities.
I hope this works for a large number of demographics. I know a period drama isn't everyone's cup of tea. But I feel this particular one can win people over.
Rating: 7/10
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